Getty Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Following their game three loss against the Milwaukee Bucks on May 7, the Boston Celtics face an uphill battle to qualify for the Eastern Conference finals.
Poor three-point shooting and an inability to consistently get their star wing duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown firing simultaneously have been costly issues the Celtics have dealt with over the last three games.
Luckily, the Celtics are still within touching distance of evening up the series and will be looking to do so in game four on May 9. Despite losing their previous contest, the Celtics can be buoyed by the fact that despite their poor shooting night and uncharacteristically bad performance from Tatum, they only lost by two points, thanks in large part to a stellar showing from veteran big man Al Horford.
It was Boston’s ability to run Milwaukee close despite some poor performances that led to ESPN’S Stephen A Smith stating he believes the Celtics will turn the tide in their series and eventually progress onto the next round of the post-season.
“The Boston Celtics should win this series. Giannis drops 42, Jrue Holiday drops 25, there is no Khris Middleton, and still, Boston almost won this game. And they should have won this game. It’s going to tell me a lot as we watch this series unwind whether or not Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are those dudes that we believe they are.
Jayson Tatum shows up in game one, but Jaylen Brown doesn’t. Jaylen Brown shows up in game two, and Jayson Tatum does; they win that game. Now, Jayson Tatum didn’t show up in this game, but Jaylen Brown does. And if you’re going to get this kind of performance from Al Horford, if Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown simply do their job and Marcus Smart in that mix, then Boston wins that series,” Smith said during a recent episode of NBA Countdown.
Tatum Takes Blame for Poor Performance
In seasons past, Tatum struggled to impact games when his shots weren’t falling, which would often lead to him becoming a ball-stopping isolation player on the perimeter. However, over the last 18 months, Tatum has become a reliable playmaker allowing him to punish defenses with his passing – which we saw in full effect as Boston swept the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the current postseason.
Milwaukee knew this coming into the series and has done an exceptional job of limiting the star wings’ passing opportunities and playing him tightly enough to force some unusually poor shooting nights.
“Today was just a one-off. I probably was thinking a little bit too much. Knowing that, they gave me a lot of attention. Obviously, I passed out some open looks that would have been best for the team, which led to some turnovers and things like that. But it all comes down to the fact I’ve just got to make better reads,” Tatum told reporters following Boston’s game three loss.
Tatum went 4-of-19 from the field, missing all six of his three-point attempts, and only contributed three assists and one rebound as the Celtics lost ground to Milwaukee.
A Lot Rides on Game Four
Boston will face Milwaukee in the fourth game of their playoff series on May 9 and will be hoping to even score at two wins apiece. Should the Celtics fall to defeat again, they will head back to the TD Garden one game away from elimination.
Suppose Milwaukee takes care of business on their home court. In that case, the Celtics will need to win three straight games to progress onto the conference finals. That projects to be an unlikely scenario, especially against the reigning NBA champions.
As far as I’m concerned, tonight’s game is a do-or-die – I can’t see Boston reeling off three straight wins, which they would need to do if they lose game 4
As such, we should expect Boston to come into their next game with a do-or-die attitude as they look to get back to playing a winning brand of basketball on both sides of the floor. Sure, the Celtics have been exceptional when defending the half-court in recent games, but they will need to tighten up their transition defense and figure out how to get their shots to fall consistently.
But, if Tatum can rediscover his shooting touch, Brown continues to score across all three levels, and Marcus Smart impacts the game as a playmaker and lockdown perimeter defender, there’s every chance we see game five starting from a neutral position.